Gender equality in the employment of senior secondary schools managers in the district of Butterworth

In terms of Section 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996, Chapter Two, the Bill of Rights, there should be gender equality amongst other things. In terms of Section15 (i) of the Employment Equity Act (Act 55 of 1998), there should be equal representation of suitably qualified people from the designated groups (blacks, women and people with disabilities) in all occupational categories and levels in the workforce. Section 15 (ii)provides that an employer who employs more than 50 employees must conduct a gender audit and make a gender equity plan and implement it when new employees are employed. In the Department of Education in the District of Butterworth, there is no gender equality in the number of senior secondary school managers. Men constituted 65 percent and women constituted 35 percent. The study investigated reasons for unequal representation of men and women as senior secondary school managers. The study was qualitative in design. The participants in the study were the Assistant Director of the Human Resource Section of the Department of Education and school governing body members, who were parents and educators. Interviews were used to collect data from the participants The study found that, amongst other things, gender equity was not considered when senior secondary schools managers were employed. That was why there was unequal representation of men and women in senior secondary schools’ management positions. This implied that those involved in the employment of secondary school managers in the district of Butterworth did not consider the Employment Equity Act (Act 55 of 1998) as a guide when employing senior secondary school managers in order to be able to achieve gender equality in this position. That was why there was unequal representation of men and women in senior secondary schools’ management positions